Quinn is a VERY special Pit Bull puppy who came to BDRA on 2 Oct 2015 at 8 weeks old and only 4 lbs. She was born on 10 Aug 2015. She was one of 11 pups in the litter, one was still born. She was SO TINY when picked up from the owner/breeder.

Quinn has a severe case of hydrocephalus. She was wobbly when she first came to BDRA, her head was domed and larger than normal, and she was blind. The vet felt she may not survive past about 3 weeks and said to watch and we would probably see her start to decline. We did not want to just sit around and watch her, so she saw a neurologist. The neurologist was not as grave sounding as the vet. He said she is what she is and whoever has her would have to understand that she probably would not be able to learn commands.

Thanks to a volunteer donating the funds, Quinn had an MRI so we could see if there was anything else we could do for Quinn:

FINDINGS:

There is severe diffuse dilatation of the ventricular system with only a thin rim of cerebral cortex along the periphery of the ventricles. The severe ventricular dilatation creates a dome shape of the head, with lack of frontal sinus formation, and also severely compresses the thalami, brainstem, and cerebellar structures. The remainder of the study is unremarkable.

CONCLUSIONS:

Severe congenital hydrocephaly with minimal cerebral cortex formation.

When asked if it would be better for her to be let go, the neurologist said not to jump to that yet. Let her grow and see how she goes. She will not be able to learn commands. She can function as best she can in her world.

Well, Quinn is truly a miracle and has surpassed what the vets have stated. She is now 22 months old and doing fantastic.  She can see something from on eye and she IS learning things. Her foster Mom has been doing massage and exercises with Quinn from day one and they have made a great difference with Quinn. Quinn responds to being called and comes to the person.  She knows SIT and she is even learning to go potty outside. When she plays with another dog, if she starts biting at them and they correct her, she learns and stops and doesn’t do it again. The foster’s vet said Quinn is like having a child with Downs syndrome, she will be slower than a healthy puppy her age.

We don’t know how long Quinn will be with us (months to years) and therefore she will stay with us and be an ambassador for BDRA and attend events in her area to show people that there are true miracles out there.

So please keep Quinn in your prayers. We will keep her safe, warm, happy, and loved.

Quinn is forever in our hearts.